Grey's Hidden Fire

Firehouse Six #1

by Draven St. James

LGBT, Contemporary

Grey's entire life is wrapped around his job as a firefighter. It's all he has ever wanted. That is until his new coworker Mica Cruz saunters through the door with his smoldering dark looks and dimpled grin. Suddenly Grey finds himself wanting to get to know what Mica looks like out of his gear and between the sheets.

Mica has one he keeps his work life and his personal life separate. It's easy enough to follow until he meets Grey and finds his rule can't stand up to the fire that Grey ignites. There's one big thing standing in the way of all of his lust-filled musings. Grey is straight.

In a profession where being gay is often kept quiet Grey must come to terms with his growing attraction to Mica. How much is he willing to sacrifice, and can they come together before someone's hatred threatens to destroy them both?

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Firefighters, Gay For You, Erotica, Contemporary Romance

85 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 8, 2013

About the author

Draven St. James is a born and raised Oregonian. She has traveled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill her books. Her ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where she finds her peace.

Reviews

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun and light and will certainly make a M/M firefighter romance fan very happy. The story actually centers around two firefighters! In the station house with two actual fire scenes! Imagine that... If you are not into the firefighter genre, this probably won't hold a lot of interest for you. The storyline, one man in the closet, another finally realizing he is actually gay after meeting the right guy, has been done before. So, recommended to my fellow firefighter fans (fuck yeah brothers and sisters!) everyone else, move along to other titles. Nothing new to see here.

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. But then again, I am a fan of firemen. If you are not... This book might not be for you, but in general. I am a huge fan of men in uniform. Add the actual firefighting and you have one very happy, contented Trisha.

Grey and Mica as a couple and as individual characters were great. I am not one for stories where an MC seems like he could be an ass. But I understood why Grey acted the way he did. It was nice to see him get his head out of his ass himself. No one intervened. It was all him. Which was reassuring to see. Especially considering the homophobia was there and could have been directed towards him.

As far as secondary characters go, I loved most of them. Jeffries and Daniel were the exception. But all the guys were funny, supportive and... Simon. I would love to read his book. I mean really. That had been coming, though. Even if it take take me a minute to process his revelation.

The sex scenes were hot. I mean... WOW for a short story... Yeah, that just hit the spot nicely. I would love more. More books from this couple and some of the other guys. Do I sound greedy? Pity. I just want more! I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it :) I thought it was very similar to Hot Head which was brilliant as I loved that book.

It is a short one but I don't mind them shot especially not when they are this hotttt! I certainly felt the true heat of Grey's hidden fire bwhahaha

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars This was an OK read, I would just recommend you taking it for what it is and not looking too deeply. The sex is steamy and it's an enjoyable enough story, if not super original. A very similar tale that I preferred would be Redemption by Fire, that pulls this plot off a little more believably.

The main sticking point for me was the insta-love plot. It started out fine because we were just meeting these guys, seeing them become attracted to each other, and getting a peak at that sexy first interaction the voyeuristic shower scene and then the retelling of Mica's fantasy for Grey. Yum!. But as the guys got more and more serious it got less and less believable for me. Although an attempt at some angst was made with a mini-fight, really they were pretty much on the same page relationship-wise from the beginning, which was odd. as opposed to this being a one-time thing or just fuck-buddies, especially since Mica knew that Grey had previously thought he was straight. On that note, I was disappointed he never told the story of his failed high-school attempt to Mica that's quite the bombshell to learn that he had had a gay experience in high-school but then the guy decked him, discouraging further behavior. It's things like that, deep conversations and learning about each other, that would have made me feel more of a connection between these two men to explain their rapidly increasing emotional attachment. But I just didn't see that.

And then of course everything was wrapped up with a perfect little bow with people coming out (literally) left and right both EMT's and then Simon just blurt to Mica "hey, me too!", just not buying it. It wasn't necessary and made things somewhat juvenile in their perfection, unfortunately the real world doesn't work like that. Even if those guys were gay they wouldn't just tell Mica out of the blue simply because he had come out. Maybe at a time they're alone and can confide in him but not so much as a "but don't tell!" goes along with these confessions

So overall, a light and enjoyable read but one that you shouldn't take too seriously.

EDIT: I forgot to even mention the suspense/mystery plot... which tells you a lot about how suspenseful/mysterious it was. The culprit was no surprise what-so-ever As soon as Jefferies son Daniel hit the scene there was no question in my mind, it was just such a blatant set-up

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire

[Meep · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kindle-Sort-ReRead

Depends what you pick this up looking for.
It's a sex fantasy, there's no real depth or character development.

Hot firefighter gets caught during obligatory shower wank, results in sex. Vague threat -obvious- mystery, more sex. Then woah must be catching cause then everyone is gay!

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a bunch of smutty, sweet shorts that I can read in one sitting and it gives me instant, quick gratification. They aren’t usually life-altering works, but they suit me just fine at the moment. Grey’s Hidden Fire was exactly what I needed when I opened it up. Two firefighters, low angst, and high smut.

Grey is the resident cook and all-around nice guy at his firehouse and is surprised when the new firefighter, Mica, walks in and stirs up attractions and feelings he’s only experienced once before. For Mica, it’s instant lust and lust on steroids, really. There’s nothing really new here, but the story and characters felt familiar, they were cute and likable, and the chemistry was hot.

The side bit of homophobia and mystery felt unnecessary and kind of thrown in there, so I would have preferred more development spent on Mica and Grey’s relationship, but overall I enjoyed this and I’d read more in the series.

This review and others can be found at Love Bytes Reviews

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

One fireman in a book is fantastic, two is even better!

I think I was always going to enjoy this book just because it was a story about fireman. There is something so sexy about firefighters and their stories that blend smoldering hotness and heroic drama.

This is the story of Grey and Mica who meet when Mica, who is rumoured to be gay, joins the fire house. I LOVED that Mica has a heroic moment right at the start of the book - total hero rescuing a little girl while one of his colleagues let's his homophobia and other things put life at risk! Oh, I so love a hero!

The kindle of the romance between these two was quite unique. There is an attraction which Mica flames by sharing the details of a fantasy he had about Grey with the man himself. It was a strange level of detail to provide to a straight, well supposedly straight man, but so so hot - no wonder Grey couldn't help but be turned on! "Mica moved off Grey. What exactly was the etiquette after coming on your new co-worker?"

An excellent mix of sexual discovery and romance with some co-worker intolerance and some fireman drama thrown in!

I am hoping we get Simon's story next if this turns into a series. Which it should!

I now publish all my m/m reviews on my blog so if you want to see all my m/m reviews in one place come visit at Because Two Men Are Better Than One!

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

I'm a big fan of firefighters, so I'm thoroughly enjoyed! It was quite simple and straightforward, without loads of angst - my favorite type of reading, to be honest )))

Hot, fun and light story!

[DaisyGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Meh. I love firefighters and I had semi-high hopes for this book. While I liked both characters, the overall effect left me underwhelmed. Some cautions: it's GFY; it's insta-love; it's not-so-mystifying mystery.

Bottom line: just meh.

[LiveYourLife BuyTheBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars
A "Live Your Life, Buy The Book" Review

Wow! That was a super cute, super hot little read! It is insta-love, so if that isn’t your thing then you may not enjoy it. Normally I am not a fan – I tend to find it cheesy, but it worked for me with these guys… maybe I am just a sucker for firemen ;-)

Mica Cruz has transferred to a new firehouse – and his reputation has preceded him. He is supposedly gay. One of his new co-workers seems to have a major problem with this. Grey is the cook and, while looking for Mica to tell him grub’s up, he interrupts a sexy shower scene. Damn, but I love shower scenes! anyway… this leads to a cat being let out the bag, so to speak. Grey now knows for sure that Mica is gay. (You need to read the book to see how my 2+2=5!) So when some hate mail starts up Mica has no idea who it could be – Grey is the only person who knows for sure, but surely it can’t be him. Not after …..

Grey isn’t gay. Sure, he had an “encounter” years ago with an old football team-mate, Tom – but that had left him bloodied and confused, and fiercely determined to stick to women. And he had no problem with that. But when Mica transferred to his firehouse his reaction to the man took his breath away. It was so cute how he embarked on a Mica-test by going to a gay bar and watching gay porn, all to see what is reaction would be… which was nothing. No reaction at all. Mica was it.

The identity of the bad guy/homophobic idiot was no huge surprise; although I had been mentally weighing up a couple of other candidates too. That being said, most of the team of firefighters were just great – and full of surprises! Mica certainly settled in really quickly, feeling a camaraderie with his new team that he had never shared at his previous firehouse. But he wanted to enjoy it without hiding who is really was. Grey made Mica feel that he deserved a full life – while he wasn’t in the closet, per se, he certainly closed himself off from a lot of things – he didn’t have many friends as he was scared they may inadvertently out him. In just a few days Mica’s whole outlook changed – he wanted Grey, and he wanted more, he wanted everything. That meant coming out at work – and by taking control you diminish the control others have over you, so if everyone knew he was gay then the threatening letters he had been receiving carried no weight. But nothing in fiction is ever so easy, events take a turn that force a quicker reveal than Mica or Grey could have ever foreseen.

I really liked the book! And I hope that maybe some of the other guys get a story. I love nothing more than a series of books with interconnecting characters. Go. Buy the Book!

[A.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! How do I sum this up with just a couple words...simply put...'Freakin awesome!' Wow. St. James is on the "Hot Tamale Train!" (Little reference to my 'So You Think You Can Dance' fans). I'm looking forward to future work from St. James and I think he/she (not sure of the author's gender yet) will be one of my favorite authors. I really liked the verbiage in this story and found that it really allowed the plot to unfold so smoothly that I read it all in one setting. (Literally bout it on Amazon at 2:38am and finished it at 6:14am.) O' yes. I paid dearly for it by mid-afternoon...but it was worth it. During the end, I found myself wanting more and at the same time feeling stated. That's not easy for an author to pull-off. Masterfully done St. Even the supporting characters were introduced beautifully and I found myself secretly hoping to hear from some of those characters in the future. Long-review-short. Certainly looking forward to more from this author.

[Jilrene · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars - insta love, but it's firemen... so I'm okay with that. I mean, hey, hot firemen. No pun intended? Quick, easy read when you just want to escape. Excellent writing and really, for a short story this one felt more fulfilling. I wouldn't object to seeing more of these boys. Or maybe a couple of the other guys who "came out" in this story. They need love, too.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been really good but it was way too short to really built the relationship or even the characters .



And seriously ... the scene in the hospital was totally wrong for me
Would have loved to see them with the guys afterwards

Maybe the next book

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just plain awful. There was no character development and a very skimpy plot if you could call it that. Insta-love/lust that took off right away. Neither of the two guys was remotely believable.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, firemen. One of the top sexiest professions, in my opinion, but also one of the worst for being "macho" and negative about homosexuality. I've personally never understood what difference it makes in how you fight fires and whom you choose to love. Then again, I'm not a guy and their thinking can be skewed at the best of times. *snort*

Grey has buried his long dormant desires for men over the years. In fact a fist to the mouth many years ago pretty much ensured his compliance with being straight. When Mica transfers into their house, though, Grey can't help but notice him, and the looks go both ways.

Mica transferred to a station house closer to his own home, but he isn't sorry to get away from the frat house mentality his former station had. Unfortunately for Mica, there's always a bad apple somewhere and he has to deal with a hate crime before it's all said and done.

This was a good short story and I liked it. Mica and Grey are very hot together and I only wish the story were longer to explore their relationship in more depth. Oh well, I'm happy with what I got as it was sweet and sexy! I was impressed with the firefighters at Grey's, and now Mica's, station as they were good men when Mica and Grey were outed. They were real men. Thank you, Draven, for such an enjoyable story.

NOTE: This book was provided by Loose Id for the purpose of a review.

[Mary Wallace (Madam Aus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone else said but I am stealing it. I inhaled it.. I just could not put it down.. It is the story of Mica and Grey's initial meet and discovery of their interest in each other. For its brevity we get a bit of backstory from both of them, enough to give us a general view of their history. Draven St James has dealt nicely with what could have been a uncomfortable to downright disasterous situation as neither men are out. Grey is surprised at his reaction to Mica and after some soul searching is brave enough to want to explore what could be.
The sex was hot and fantastic and took my breath away. Mica describing his fantasy was beyond sexy and I came away from it as horny as hell. It was also very well written and the tension was built up nicely with a gorgeous HFN. Why HFN, well I am hoping to see more of these two.. Puhleeeze.....
In summary this was short and I came away from it wanting so much more from the boys, but only because I just fell in love with them and didn't want it to end. So I shall be hanging on for the next installment... And I would recommend this.. Get it... Don't just sit there reading the credits get back to wherever you buy books and do it.. now...

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Sexy gay firemen was enough to make me want to read this book. Grey and Mica are scorching hot and the shower scene is one of the hottest I've ever read.

I liked that we story along with our sex and I enjoyed the scenes at the fire station and meeting the other fire fighters. The story and their relationship is rushed simply because it is a novella and you can only fit so much in. All in all I really enjoyed Grey's Hidden Fire and I will definitely be continuing on with this series.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually I try to give more meaningful reviews, but this one is simply a fun, shameless insta-love story (and I mean instant, as in "Nice to... oh, hello there").

I lovelovelove firemen stories, but it's so hard to find good ones. As an addict to Chicago Fire, I just want that with a little gay. Is that so much to ask?

Granted, I think I knew going into this story that it wasn't going to be serious or deep. And I did have fun with this. I just want my gay Chicago Fire.

Certainly a cute read, and I'll read the next, but nothing that made me super excited or that I'll remember later on, I'm afraid.

[Ruthie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads

WOW, I almost needed to call the fire brigade myself. For a short read, there is a lot of story and it is scorchingly hot, as well as rather wonderful. It is true that it is somewhat precipitous, but I am a believer in instant attraction, so it worked just fine for me.

I loved the ending and cannot wait to read the next in the series - I have been missing out on these gems!

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm, I decided to re-read this first part, to get a feel for all other characters in this series and I have to admit a second time around I disliked this book. More or less, because of the main storyline, which was to shallow, circled mainly around sex, sex, sex between Grey and Mica and that was all! I found it this story boring!!!

2013/July/18 3 stars
This is a nice, easy romance between Grey and Mica, who are firefighters. The main storyline is bland and circles around a starting romance between both MC's. For sure, I wouldn't mind reading more about this group of man.

[kasjo_peja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an erotica - like, 80% of the story consists of sex. It reminded me of one of my first m/m romances 'The Assignment' by Evangeline Anderson. The plot is different, but we have two alpha males in very manly, but surprisingly accepting work environment, amazing sex with no awkwardness or pain of first times, quick commitment and GFY theme. If I were to rate it as a romance it wouldn't get more than 2-3 stars, but in erotica category it's close to 4.

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot, smexy firemen. Yum. Nothing really very new and exciting in this one, but it was easily a solid story that warmed me right up. The guys are smokin hot, especially once Grey gives in to his feelings for Mica. This story is hot stuff, so if you love firemen, I'd definitely add this one to your list. I'm jumping right into the next.

[Ivka_s_knihou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. i think it could be a great beginning of a new series but i don't want to jinx it. i liked both characters. i love firefighters in general. but it was a little bit short for me.

[Kristie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This... why did it take me so long to read this series? Lately, this is all I want to read. This sort of book. Quick, easy, light, but with feelings. It tugged at my heart, made me happy.

[Lou~❧Powerless Over 1-Click❧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.. this was a first read for this author and I gotta say I was hooked at the first page and the story too. The feelings going on between the characters are enticing and not to mention the chemistry being of the charts.. Greyson or Grey is a fireman working with his team mates who thought it was cool to dis on gay's even when they were joking around. With the exception of Jefferies they all got along fine. Word got in they had a new man coming to join them from another team which Jefferies was far from happy about.
Mica is a huge adonis at 6ft 6 and was in the closet moving teams to be closer to his home. Grey has an intimidate reaction to Mica as soon as he saw him. The team get back from a fire and Mica is feeling the high of it..cue a hot shower scene which Grey is wittiness too. Grey has always thought he was straight but now he's confused.
There's danger for Mica in the form of notes being left at the station but it soon gets outta hand. See what happens next.. I loved reading the Mica and Grey's story and their work mates. I'll definitely be getting more of their stories too.

[Ottilee B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but it packed a punch. Grey didn't know he was bi til Mica joins the fire team. Not real sure what his label is as HE doesn't seem to care about it! Mica's home is burnt but I'm not sure if he'll move in with Grey or not. Apparently there are quite a few firemen with hoses that swing that way.
Will read further in series. Recommended!

[chelseaerinreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out strong; I liked the setting and the firehouse characters but it just got into everything too fast. Like how are they saying I love you in like 2 days??? Just felt really silly how fast it went. Wasn’t my vibe.

- forced proximity
- workplace romance

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice story! No drama

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the book. The characters were sweet.